The Cost-effectiveness of Biodiversity Management: A Comparison of Farm Types in Extensively Farmed Areas of Scotland

The cost-effectiveness of biodiversity management of heather, herb-rich grassland and wetland habitats is compared between different farm types in the context of the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme in Scotland. Biodiversity is measured at two spatial levels. Costs to the public exchequer of habitat management are compared with private costs to the farmer. Biodiversity and cost are combined in cost-effectiveness ratios. Biodiversity, cost and cost-effectiveness differentials are found between farm types for all three habitats. Farms incur negligible opportunity costs in the management of all three habitats, implying farmer retention of compensating ESA management payments. It is concluded that greater account of biodiversity and cost characteristics of entrants to agri-environmental schemes would increase the costeffectiveness and transparency of schemes, and assist towards scheme assessment at the individual farm level.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed:
James David Fahn, A Land On Fire: The Environmental Consequences of the Southeast Asian Boom
Jörg Andriof, Sandra Waddock, Bryan Husted and Sandra Sutherland Rahman (Eds.), Unfolding Stakeholder Thinking, Vol 2: Relationships, Communication, Reporting and Performance
A. Peter Castro and Erik Nielsen (Eds.), Natural Resource Conflict Management Case Studies: An Analysis of Power, Participation and Protected Areas
Rutgerd Boelens and Paul Hoogendam (Eds.), Water Rights and Empowerment
John Charles Kunich, Ark of the Broken Covenant. Protecting the World's Biodiversity Hotspots
David B. Lindenmayer and Jerry F. Franklin, Conserving Forest Biodiversity. A Comprehensive Multiscaled Approach
Donald N. Zillman, Alistair Lucas and George Pring (Eds.), Human Rights in Natural Resource Development. Public Participation in the Sustainable Development of Mining and Energy Resources     

长江源区生物多样性保护研究

生物多样性具有生态、社会和经济多重价值.长江源区生物多样性不但关系到当地经济发展和人民生存安全,而且关系到整个长江流域的可持续发展,甚至影响到全球气候.分析了长江源区生物多样性的特点及区域生物多样性遭受严重破坏的原因,提出了保护长江源区生物多样性的对策措施:①加强对长江源自然保护区的建设;②适当控制人口数量,进行必要的生态移民;③加强基本生产和生活条件建设;④加大立法与执法力度,严禁偷猎、盗采野生动植物;⑤在保护中开发利用.     

风景名胜区生物多样性保护的理论与实践——以黄山风景区为例

生物多样性是风景区重要的旅游资源以及环境资源，本文应用景观生态学原理及生物多样性保护的最新理论，探讨了生物多样性保护的方法，包括保护区面积的科学划分以及在面积不足时需要采取的生态学设计，并以黄山风景区为例，对这一理论及方法进行了论证。     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Global Biodiversity Assessment V. H. Heywood (Executive Editor), R. T. Watson (Chair)
Lost Landscapes and Failed Economies — The Search for a Value of Place Thomas Michael Power
The Last Frontier: People and Forests in Mizoram Daman Singh
Environmental Policy in Europe—Industry, Competition and the Policy Process François Leveque     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Modeling Economic Management and Policy Issues of Water in Irrigated Agriculture Aricl Dinar and John Letey
Co-operative Management of Natural Resources K. Singh and V. Ballabh (Eds)
Biodiversity II. Understanding and Protecting our Biological Resorces Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla, Don E. Wilson, and Edward O. Wilson (Eds)     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Measuring Sustainable Development: Macroeconomics and the Environment . Giles Atkinson, Richard Dubourg, Kirk Hamilton, Mohan Munasinghe, David Pearce & Carlos Young.
Turning Point: The End of the Growth Paradigm . Robert U. Ayres
World Metal Markets: The United States Strategic Stockpile and Global Market Influence . Patricia E. Perkins
Biodiversity and Tourism: Conflicts on the World's Seacoasts and Strategies for their Solution . Edited by German Federal Agency for Nature-Conservation.     

The exuberant planet: A global look at the role of utilities in protecting biodiversity

Biodiversity is a critical environmental issue. Biodiverse species as a source of unique genetic information, for example, continues to provide society with lifesaving drugs and important industrial chemicals. Since US utilities are substantial landholders and virtually every aspect of utility operations are in some way tied to environmental/biodiversity issues, it is important and essential that the utility industry step forward as a leader. This paper details the past, present, and future role that utilities have played and need to play in the very important arena of biodiversity.     

英国、印度和美国生物多样性法律保护概况及其借鉴意义

生物多样性的保护问题是全人类共同面临的严峻现实。对英国、印度及美国的生物多样性法律保护情况进行的调查研究表明,这些国家的保护对象非常广泛,注重对生物多样性典型地区的保护,重视教育与宣传,加强各国间的合作。他们的许多经验值得我们在制定有关生物多样性保护法律、法规时加以借鉴。     

山东崂山生物多样性及保护对策

根据多年来对青岛崂山生物资源的调查和文献资料,研究了崂山生物多样性的特点,分析了其在山东生物多样性保护中的地位,提出了崂山生物多样性保护对策和建议.研究表明:崂山生物多样性具有物种丰富度高、密度大,特有种、重点保护物种多,植物成分复杂,生态系统类型多样,古树名木众多,遗传多样性丰富的特点,崂山是山东乃至全国生物多样性保护的“关键区“之一.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Grassroots Environmental Action: People's Participation in Sustainable Development Edited by Dharam Ghai and Jessica M Vivian Routledge Press, New York Paradise Lost? The Ecological Economics of Biodiversity Edward B Barbier, Joanne C Burgess and Carl Folke Earthscan Publications Limited, London Whose Backyard, Whose Risk? Fear and Fairness in Toxic and Nuclear Waste Siting Michael B Gerrard MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA Environment, Growth and Development: The Concepts and Strategies of Sustainability Peter Bartelmus Routledge, London     

Managing for biodiversity: Emerging ideas for the electric utility industry—summary statement

The conference entitled Managing for Biodiversity: Emerging Ideas for the Electric Utility Industry was held in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, during 19–20 March 1996. This paper provides an overview of the key points, conclusions, and recommendations from both the presentations/papers and the discussions throughout the conference.     

Book reviews

Books reviewed:
Kathryn M. Mutz, Gary C. Bryner and Douglas S. Kenney (eds), Justice and Natural Resources: Concepts, Strategies and Applications
Minu Hemmati with contributions from Felix Dodds, Jasmin Enayati and Jan McHarry, Multi–stakeholder Processes for Governance and Sustainability. Beyond Deadlock and Conflict
Clive L. Spash and Sandra McNally (eds), Managing Pollution. Economic Valuation and Environmental Toxicology
Rognvaldur Hannesson, Investing for Sustainability. The Management of Mineral Wealth
Gretchen C. Daily and Katherine Ellison, The New Economy of Nature: The Quest to Make Conservation Profitable
Kenneth S. Deffeyes, Hubbert's Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage
Charles Perrings (ed.), The Economics of Biodiversity Conservation in Sub–Saharan Africa: Mending the Ark
S.R. Harrison, J.L. Herbohn and K.F. Herbohn (eds), Sustainable Small–scale Forestry: Socio–economic Analysis and Policy     

Book Reviews

Book reviews Claude Fussler, Aron Cramer and Sebastian van der Vegt (eds.), Raising the Bar — Creating Value with the United Nations Global Compact . Björn‐Ola Linnér, The Return of Malthus: Environmentalism and Post‐war Population‐Resource Crises . David B. Lindenmayer and Jerry F. Franklin (eds.), Towards Forest Sustainability . Karen Bakker, An Uncooperative Commodity: Privatizing Water in England and Wales . Fidelis Kaihura and Michael Stocking (eds.), Agricultural Biodiversity in Smallholder Farms of East Africa . Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2004: The Consumer Society . Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich, One With Ninevah: Politics, Consumption and the Human Future . Marius de Geus, The End of Over‐consumption: Towards a Lifestyle of Moderation and Self‐restraint .     

Book review

Books reviewed:
Marian Radetzki (John E. Tilton) The Green Myth — Economic Growth and the Quality of the Environment
Richard Starkey and Richard Welford, eds. (Orland Wilkerson) The Earthscan Reader in Business and Sustainable Development
Edward Goldsmith and Jerry Mander, eds. (Orland Wilkerson) The Case Against the Global Economy and for a Turn Towards Localization
Susan Perkoff Bass and Manuel Ruiz Muller (Traci Warkentin) Protecting Biodiversity: National Laws Regulating Access to Genetic Resources in the Americas
Tanya M. Shenk and Alan B. Franklin, eds. (Philip LeBel) Modeling in Natural Resource Management: Development, Interpretation, and Application
Norman Myers and Jennifer Kent (Suna Bayrakal) Perverse Subsidies: How Tax Dollars Can Undercut the Environment and the Economy     

罗布泊野骆驼自然保护区生态环境问题及恢复措施

当今世界人们最为关注的问题之一是生物多样性的保护,任何一种物种的消亡都是对我们这个世界的一种巨大损失.为保护世界极旱荒漠区的新疆罗布泊野骆驼,在国家环保总局的支持和全球环境基金会、联合国环境规划署、野骆驼保护基金会等国际组织的资助下,新疆政府成立了罗布泊自然保护区.但是由于人为活动因素和大气候环境的变化,该区域生存的野骆驼等野生动物栖息地环境也发生了不利的变化,为了改善野骆驼的饮水和觅食环境,保护区采取了打井等多种管理措施.对保护区目前野骆驼生存环境的变化进行剖析,并介绍生态恢复措施等.     

Aquatic biodiversity and the electric utility industry

/ Results from a 1995 survey of utility company biologists indicate that aquatic biodiversity is an emerging and poorly understood issue. As a result, there is some confusion about what aquatic biodiversity actually is, and how we can best conserve it. Only one fourth (24%) of the respondents said their company has a stated environmental policy that addresses biodiversity. Many respondents indicate that over the years they have not specifically managed for biodiversity, but have been doing that through their efforts to assure balanced indigenous populations. While regulations are still the major driver for biological work, an increasing number of companies are involved in voluntary partnerships in managing water resources. Of these voluntary partnerships, 70% have biodiversity as a goal. Biodiversity is becoming an increasingly common subject of study, and a vast majority (75%) of the respondents suggested it should be a goal for utility resource management. Conservation of aquatic biodiversity is a complex task, and to date most aquatic efforts have been directed toward fish and macroinvertebrates. Ecological research and technological development performed by the utility industry have resulted in a number of successful biopreservation and biorestoration success stories. A common theme to preserving or enhancing aquatic biodiversity is preserving aquatic habitat. Increasingly, ecosystem management is touted as the most likely approach to achieve success in preserving aquatic biodiversity. Several utilities are conducting progressive work in implementing ecosystem management. This paper presents the potential interactions between power plants and biodiversity, an overview of aquatic biodiversity preservation efforts within the electric utility industry, more detail on the results of the survey, and recent initiatives in ecosystem management.KEY WORDS: Biodiversity; Ecosystem management; Watershed management; Utilities; Aquatic; Adaptive management     

The IPBES Conceptual Framework: An Unhelpful Start

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) have recently launched themselves as the UN-sanctioned instrument for conserving nature. They seek to establish themselves as the authority in this field alongside the well-known Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in climate science. Quickly following or even before recent publication of their conceptual framework in two biology journals, they were already underway building upon it. This headlong push, we believe, is ill advised. We show how the framework is unsound as a foundation for further work—in a number of ways and perhaps even by its authors’ own lights. It is therefore urgent that the IPBES thoroughly and thoughtfully reconsider their framework before too much effort is wasted.     

Examining the spatial incongruity between mining sector and beekeeping activities

The seminal work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on pollinators, pollination, and food production, informed scientific studies on the understudied impacts of mining on agriculture sub-sectors. This paper assesses the potential impacts of mining activities on beekeeping as an agricultural sub-sector, and the flow-on effects on associated economic values and enterprises to enhance sustainable development. A case study is conducted in the emerging northwest gold mining region of Ghana. The Location Quotient (LQ) and Location Association (La) models are used to explore the economic significance of beekeeping, its spatial links with tree habitats, and mining activities. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to analyze the spatial interactions between concessions, trees, and beekeeping. The paper finds that districts with LQ < 1 in beekeeping also record LQ > 1 in mining, and La < 50 between beekeeping and mining. The findings are useful for stakeholder decision-making toward harnessing and leveraging the prospects of mining on integrated rural and sustainable development.     

Assessing Ecological Resources for Remediation and Future Land Uses on Contaminated Lands

Increasingly, the public and governmental agencies are concerned about remediating and reclaiming contaminated sites. Understanding the ecological resources on-site and valuing those resources in terms of future uses is important for determining suitable future land uses. In this article, we suggest the major categories of natural resource information required by managers, policy makers, and the general public for making initial future land-use determinations. We then use a dataset of 25 Department of Energy (DOE) sites slated for remediation to explore whether such data are readily available and whether the data can be used to assess natural resource value. Although information is available for almost all sites on federally endangered and threatened species, this information is less available for state-listed species. Biodiversity information is available only for some sites for birds (N = 17), mammals (N = 15), reptiles (N = 14), amphibians (N = 13), and plants (N = 11) and is almost nonexistent for invertebrates (N = 2). Some information is available for invasive species (N = 9). The number of available habitats is directly related to total acres and nonindustrial acres. Biodiversity of birds, mammals, and reptiles (but not amphibians) is directly related to both total acres and total nonindustrial acres of sites. These data suggest that even over a wide geographical area (from eastern to western United States), biodiversity relates to habitat size and number of habitats available. This information will be useful not only to DOE managers but also to natural resource trustees, ecologists, state and federal regulators, and the general public in the discourse over future uses of these lands.*Published online Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; Joanna Burger